Fresh data submitted to the Election Commission has unveiled the primary financial backers of Andhra Pradesh's ruling alliance partners, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Jana Sena Party (JSP), for the fiscal year 2024-25. This period marks the first full financial year following the Supreme Court's landmark decision to scrap the electoral bonds scheme, bringing corporate and individual donations directly into public view.
Key Donors and Contribution Trends
The TDP, led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, received a total of Rs 83.03 crore in donations for 2024-25. This figure represents a notable decline of Rs 17.15 crore compared to the Rs 100.18 crore it garnered in the previous fiscal year (2023-24). Its alliance partner, the Jana Sena Party headed by Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, collected Rs 25.33 crore during the same period.
The contribution reports highlight a clear pattern: pharmaceutical companies, renewable energy firms, and real estate developers emerged as significant contributors to both parties. This comes against the backdrop of the Naidu government's stated push for renewable energy expansion in the state.
Breaking Down the TDP's Donor List
The single largest contribution to the TDP came from the Prudent Electoral Trust, which donated a massive Rs 40 crore. Other electoral trusts also chipped in, with A B General Trust giving Rs 5 crore and Triumph Trust contributing Rs 4 crore.
Among corporate donors, Hyderabad-based NATCO Pharma Ltd was a major contributor, donating Rs 7 crore. Bengaluru's Varsity Education Management gave Rs 5 crore. Several firms donated Rs 2 crore each, including Christy Friedgram Industry Private Ltd (Tamil Nadu), United Tele Links (Bengaluru), and Priya Acqua Farms from Prakasam district.
Reflecting the state's policy focus, a cluster of solar and renewable energy companies made substantial donations. These included Neemuch Solar Power Private Ltd (Rs 43.80 lakh), Heremba Renewables Ltd (Rs 59.90 lakh), and multiple entities under the "Renew" banner. Individual donors Sharat Babu Bollineni and Krishna Mohan Bollineni contributed Rs 2 crore each to the party.
Jana Sena's Funding Sources
The Jana Sena Party's funding structure showed a slightly different mix, with a prominent role for individual donors. The party's biggest single contribution of Rs 5 crore came from an individual, Ravikumar Akula of Shadnagar, Hyderabad.
On the corporate side, the party received Rs 3 crore from RVM Constructions India and Rs 2 crore from DVK Constructions, both based in Hyderabad. NATCO Pharma also donated Rs 1 crore to the JSP. Other notable donors included Sainath ADS from Vijayawada (Rs 1.5 crore) and Miracle Software Systems from Visakhapatnam (Rs 1 crore). Unlike the TDP, the JSP did not report any significant receipts from electoral trusts.
Party Responses and Accountability
Reacting to the disclosures, state TDP president Palla Srinivasa Rao emphasized accountability. "For every paisa we get, we are accountable to the donors. Every paisa we get returns to the grassroots workers of our party," he stated, citing a party healthcare scheme funded by donations.
Jana Sena spokesman Ajaya Kumar Vemulapati expressed gratitude to all contributors but made a special mention of small donors. "We especially thank those who donated Rs 10 to Rs 20, from their daily earnings. We thank pensioners who donated their pension and our grassroots workers who continue to contribute," he said.
The detailed reports, submitted as per Election Commission mandates, offer a transparent look into political funding in the post-electoral bonds era. They reveal the sectors and entities aligning their financial support with the ruling coalition in Andhra Pradesh, which swept to power in the June 2024 Assembly elections as part of the NDA alliance.
